It’s the season for family, festivities, and food — lots of it. Temptations abound, and parties and travel can disrupt the daily routine. That means it’s also a time when eating healthy, staying active, and taking medication on schedule are that much harder to do, says the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention, listing out five tips to manage diabetes and ring in the New Year while staying on track.

Stick to your plan: As other people indulge, you need to eat, be physically active, and take your medication close to the usual times. If invited to a party, offer to take along a healthy dish. And if you have a sweet treat, cut back on other carbohydrates (like potatoes and bread) during the meal.

Stay in control: When faced with a spread of delicious food, you'll find healthy choices easier to make if you have a small plate of the foods you like best and then move away from the buffet table.

Fit in favourites: You can have some of your favourite foods as long as you limit the portion and do not raid the buffet-table too many times.

Stay active: It’s easy to put physical activity last on the list during the holiday rush, but being active is always time well spent. Get moving with friends and family, such as taking a walk after a holiday dinner.

Get enough sleep: If you go out often and stay late during the holidays, you’re likely to get less sleep. Sleep loss can make it harder to control your blood sugar. And when you're sleep deprived, you'll tend to eat more of high-fat, high-sugar food, cautions the CDC.

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